At home with...Terry Huggett

Craftsman builder Terry Huggett, who lives in Mexborough, is the CEO of Terry Huggett Developments. He has a passion for sustainable, contemporary design.
Terry's favourite sofa - the Togo by Ligne RosetTerry's favourite sofa - the Togo by Ligne Roset
Terry's favourite sofa - the Togo by Ligne Roset

Describe your home and its style? It’s a Modernist home that reflects many contemporary homes in southern California. I’ve brought a bit of LA to Mexborough. It is designed to be eco-friendly and faces south-west to soak up sun through large areas of Velfac glazing. The colder north-west side has the minimum amount of windows to prevent draughts and heat loss. The layout includes a galleried landing and a double-height living space. Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and four bathrooms. I tried to think of everything, including putting noisy appliances in the utility room at the back of the house so we wouldn’t hear them when we were relaxing. We also planned in a lot of storage so we could keep the minimal look. The lighting in the bathroom is touch tile and the chandelier in the dining room is on a motorised winch so I can change the bulbs easily.

What is on your interiors wish list and why? Mostly one-off pieces that are design classics. I strive towards having an original Isamu Noguchi coffee table. It was designed in the 1940s but still looks very modern.

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What is your favourite piece of furniture and why? I love classic pieces of furniture, which may not be always the most affordable but I think they offer great value as they transcend time and will always be in vogue. Rather than replacing out-of-date furniture, I’d invest in quality and style. The Lignet Roset Togo sofa is a good example. It celebrates 40 years and is still going strong.

Terry would love to own an original Noguchi tableTerry would love to own an original Noguchi table
Terry would love to own an original Noguchi table

Which household items could you not live without? I must confess that I could not live without my Sage by Heston Blumenthal coffee machine, which is my “go to” first thing every morning for a cup of espresso.

Which architects/designers do you most admire and why? It would be two of Yorkshire’s finest architects. Chiles Evans + Care Architects because they are a passionate, design-led team whose work is underpinned by collaboration, research and attention to detail. Paul Testa Architecture and his team are inspirational architects who design sustainable architecture that is a delight to both live and work in.

Is there anything exciting you at the moment in terms of building design and construction? We are seeing a rebirth of Modernist architecture that benefits from some amazing new materials. The biggest advances have been in innovative air tightness/insulation products, which allow us to make the performance of the properties we build more like a Passivhaus so they use very little energy.

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What and where is your ideal home? My ideal home would be on the outskirts of Sheffield bordering the Peak District as it would benefit from city conveniences and the most beautiful countryside in the world.

Terry's LA inspired home in MexboroughTerry's LA inspired home in Mexborough
Terry's LA inspired home in Mexborough

Who would you most like to invite to dinner and why? I’d love to share a meal with the late Julius Shulman, the American architectural photographer, and question him over how he worked with the most iconic mid-century, West Coast Modernist architects, such as Pierre Koenig, Richard Neutra and Frank Lloyd Wright. I’m sure he would have some interesting insights.

Terry’s own home, which features a cantilevered monopitch roof in zinc, won two LABC Building Excellence awards. For more details visit terryhuggettdevelopments.com